The costly truth about your old furnace

With heating accounting for half the energy used in homes, and people spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this winter is extra important to pay attention to heating costs.

Unfortunately, many homes in B.C. have older, inefficient furnaces. FortisBC surveyed 6,000 residential customers in B.C. and found that more than 40 per cent of homes only had a mid- or standard-efficiency furnace. A further 17 per cent of people didn’t know the efficiency of their home’s furnace.

Imagine buying a bag of 10 apples and getting only six

Many homes built before 1990 have standard-efficiency furnaces that are as little as 60 per cent efficient.

That means, even if it was installed correctly and well-maintained, it will return only 60 units of heat for every unit of energy it uses, and 40 cents of every dollar is lost through the exhaust.

Mid-efficiency furnaces, common between 1990 and 2010, are up to 82 per cent efficient, so it’s like paying for 10 apples and getting eight. In contrast, high-efficiency furnaces are 95 to 98 per cent efficient, and of these, FortisBC only provides rebates for the most energy-efficient furnaces available.

Double the reason to upgrade old furnaces

If you have an older, inefficient furnaces, now is a great time to put your renovation dollars towards a high-efficiency replacement. For a limited time, we’re offering double rebates on qualified, high-efficiency natural gas furnaces. You could qualify for as much as $2,000 back on select models.

Now is also a good time to invest in upgrades that help keep heat inside your home. For example, rebates have increased from $100 to $200 for qualified windows and doors.

These double rebates are only available for installations that occur between now and March 31, 2021 and you must register for a unique promo code before December 31, 2020 to qualify.